With
this Activity, simulate "RNA
Transcription" and get the Templates
for RNA and DNA nucleotides. These are suggestions for the order
of DNA bases. They can be cut out and one given to each
group. To have students go further, have them use their mRNA
models to do the "RNA
Translation" Activity.

Do the
"From Gene to Protein"
WebQuest activity from the Genetic
Science Learning Center.

Try
the PBS
"DNA
Workshop Activity" for the
simulation of DNA replication and
protein synthesis and use this "DNA Workshop"
worksheet to accompany it.

Have students
watch the movie, Race
for
the Double Helix, (if you don't
have it, Amazon.com
sells it for $49.99) and
use these notes ,
discussion questions ,
and quiz
from Patricia Meyers, Science Department Chair, Twin
Valley High School, Elverson,
PA.

"The Cell
Will Survive"
is a clever PowerPoint
about protein synthesis.
It has the music to the song "I Will Survive" in the
background with the words that Annette
M. Parrott, the
creator of
the PowerPoint,
wrote. Students
can sing along as the presentation plays. (You may need to
download the presentation and save it on your own computer for the
music to play.)

The "Do
It Yourself DNA Kit" allows students to ultimately
translate
a DNA code-message by synthesizing a "protein" (amino acid sequence) in
readable English,
and encourages students to create
and decipher new messages written in DNA language.

"Mutations:
Changing the Genetic Code"
requires Java 1.5
and is an interactive model. In
this activity students can
edit a
DNA nucleotide sequence and observe how it will affect the sequence of
amino acids in the protein and the shape of the resulting protein.

"Codon Analogy"
with key
and "DNA Sentences"
are both activities where words or
letters are substituted for amino acids to make sentences and
demonstrate how the DNA code works.

Rena Drezner of the NSTA
Listserve contributed this
"Biotechnolgy: a Multimedia
Journey" Project
that includes this rubric .

Michael Wright of the NSTA
Listserve contributed the "DNA
Online"
worksheet to go along with the "DNA
Interactive"
website.

"Connect the Dots . . . DNA to
DISEASE"
has studentstranscribe and translate a
given sequence of DNA and perform a BLAST search against a database of
known
proteins to determine which protein their sequence encodes. The goal is
to show
students that genes encode proteins, which in turn can cause disease if
mutated
or functioning improperly.

Kathy
Hallett of the NSTA
Listserve contributed this
"National Geographic: the
Genographic Project" to
go along with National
Geographic'sGenographic
Project.

In Tom
Wanamaker of the NSTA
Listserve's "Restriction
Enzymes: DNA Scissors"
activity, students workto break up
an ivory poaching ring.The ivory
contains small, incomplete quantities of DNA
that you can use
to test whether or not this seller is telling the truth.

"Case
of the Crown Jewels"
is a classroom activity that allows
students to explore how the unique sequence of bases in DNA can be used
to identify individuals. It includes a pre-lab activity, a
laboratory preparation guide, extension activities, and a post-lab
activity.

"The
Watson-Crick Model of DNA
Structure"
is a unit with 5 inquiary type lab
activities from NSTA.

If you have
ever shown Jurasic
Park
to your students, "How to Make a Dinosaur" will lead to discussions of
the possibility of creating a dinosaur from DNA found in mosquitos
trapped in amber: http://www.unmuseum.org/dnadino.htm